Snoring can significantly affect your sleep and that of your sleep partner. Snoring happens when you breathe through your throat when sleeping. It causes the throat muscles to vibrate, leading to snoring sounds. In most cases, you can learn to manage snoring.
While most people take snoring lightly, it could signify serious issues such as sleep apnea or obesity. Other causes of snoring include poor sleep positions, sleep deprivation, alcohol use, and much more. Even if snoring isn’t causing any significant symptoms, you should speak to your doctor or dentist to determine the root cause and how you can manage it.
Fortunately, simple lifestyle changes and home remedies can help manage mild to moderate snoring. These can include:
Sleeping on your left side is the best sleep position. It helps prevent the throat muscles from collapsing, allowing easy air flow and preventing snoring. You can also sleep on the right side.
Completely avoid sleeping on your back or stomach. Sleeping on the back causes your tongue and throat muscles to relax too much, blocking the airflow and causing snoring. Sleeping on the stomach can also block airflow through the nose and cause back problems.
Sleep experts recommend getting at least 7 – 9 hours of sleep. Sleeping less doesn’t give your body enough time to rest and increases your risk of snoring. For instance, it can cause your throat muscles to relax too much, increasing the risk of airway obstruction and snoring.
Keeping your head elevated when sleeping reduces the risk of your tongue or throat muscles relaxing too much. It keeps your airway open, allowing easy air flow and preventing snoring. Be sure to use a soft and comfortable pillow that won’t cause discomfort that can disrupt your sleep.
Stick-on nasal strips placed on the edge of the nose can help increase the space in the nasal passage, making breathing easy and eliminating snoring. Using a nasal dilator on or in the nose can decrease airflow resistance, allowing you to breathe effectively.
Alcohol beverages before bed can cause your throat muscles to relax tooth much, blocking the airway and causing snoring. To avoid this, avoid taking alcohol for at least three hours before bed.
Like alcohol, sedatives cause your oral muscles to relax, preventing proper airflow and causing you to snore.
Smoking increases your risk of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring, especially before bed. Talk to your doctor or dentist about therapies or tricks to help you quit easily.
Being obese or overweight significantly increases your risk of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. It happens due to the excess tissues around the neck. You can use exercise or monitor your diet to lose weight.
Certain allergies can reduce airflow through the nose, causing you to breathe through the mouth, which increases the possibility of snoring or OSA. Speak to your doctor about what medicines you should take. They can include nasal sprays, pills, and liquids.
Certain people have a deviated septum, a misalignment of the wall that separates the sides of the nose. A deviated septum can restrict airflow through the nose, causing mouth breathing and snoring. You can correct this condition through septoplasty surgery.
If snoring is caused by OSA, the dentist or doctor can recommend a CPAP machine. The machine continuously blows air through a mask worn over your mouth or nose, keeping the airway open and preventing snoring.
Your dentist or doctor can create customized oral devices that help keep your airway open and prevent snoring. These can include snore guards and tongue-retaining devices. We offer snore guards and appliance therapy in Lexington, MA.
The procedure involves inserting tiny implants into the soft palate. The implants stiffen the soft palate, reducing tissue vibration and stopping snoring.
The procedure removes excess tissues from the throat to widen the airway. It allows for better airflow, allowing you to breathe easily and reducing snoring.
This treatment uses low-intensity radio waves to minimize or shrink the tissues on the soft palate to minimize snoring.
Do you need more information on how to manage snoring? Contact Lexington Dental Group to speak with our dentist in Lexington, MA.
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